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VIDEO: E. coli outbreak in rural community linked to bull manure
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ATLANTA — In this video from the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service conference, Vikram Krishnasamy, MD, MPH, EIS officer in the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, summarizes an investigation into a fatal outbreak of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in a community on the Arizona and Utah border.
The outbreak involved mostly children and was initially thought to be related to beef, prompting officials to warn members of the community not to eat it. But the investigation by the CDC and state and local health departments determined a different cause: exposure to animal manure —most likely from an infected bull, Krishnasamy said during a presentation here.
Two patients died in the outbreak, which occurred in June 2017. Krishnasamy said the investigators left the community with several recommendations to prevent further outbreaks, including washing their hands any time they were exposed to animal manure.
“E. coli can be the result of contaminated foods, but also person-to-person transmission. This outbreak highlights how that can happen,” he said.
Disclosure: Krishnasamy reports no relevant financial disclosures.